Wednesday, September 14, 2016

21 US-Supported Terrorist Groups Reject Syria Ceasefire

Farcical ceasefire exists in name only. Hostilities continue. Chief of Russia’s General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate General Sergei Rudskoy said his country’s aerial operations will keep striking terrorist targets while observing Geneva agreed on terms.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry cited media reports, indicating “leaders of 21 armed opposition groups in Syria, including Ahrar al-Sham, have refused to obey by the provisions of the truce that came into effect from September 12.”

These groups intend continuing armed confrontation with Syrian government forces, massacring civilians, committing gruesome atrocities, likely including use of chemical and other banned weapons like numerous times before.

“We consider it an outrageous challenge to Russia’s and the United States’ efforts aiming to bolster the regime of cessation of hostilities, to promote resolution of humanitarian problems and create conditions for the launch of a comprehensive intra-Syrian political process,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry stressed.

“(I)t is necessary to spare no effort not to let extremists and their supporters, who openly declare they are not going to break away from their former allies in the terrorist group Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, impose their own bloody agenda on Syria.”

“We resolutely call on all who have any influence on these groups, first of all on the American side, to finally call their clients to order. We cannot let their expected provocative actions thwart the possibility of a political settlement of the Syrian crisis.”

America and its rogue allies arm, fund, direct and control these groups. They can halt their fighting by simply issuing a stand down order. Refusal shows Washington and its imperial partners continued war, not peace.

Throughout the conflict, Russia showed good faith, going all-out to resolve it diplomatically. Washington obstructed its best efforts, Geneva last Friday apparently the latest example, dead-on-arrival like previous cessation of hostilities and peace efforts.

Israel is allied with Washington, NATO and regional rogue states, wanting conflict continued, not resolved. On Tuesday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry sent identical letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and current Security Council president New Zealand’s Gerard van Bohemen, saying in part:

“Within the framework of its direct support to terrorists, Israel launched a series of flagrant attacks on the Syrian territory and the Armed Forces during the past few weeks.”

“There is no doubt that the Israeli attack came in support of the armed terrorist groups…a desperate attempt to raise the deteriorating morale of their members due to heavy losses…suffered in the countryside of Quneitra and across Syria.”

Like America, Israel supplies them with weapons, munitions, intelligence and air support, along with treating “more than 2,000” of their fighters in Israeli hospitals.

Each time Syria demands the UN and Security Council to uphold the world body’s Charter principles, it falls on deaf ears. The United Nations functions as a US imperial tool, supporting its ruthless agenda instead of condemning it.

It maintains the pretense of nonexistent moderate rebels. Contrary to US wishes, Lavrov wants Geneva terms made public. “We have nothing to hide,” he said. He wants five separate documents submitted to the Security Council “for approval without any amendments.”